A marketing tool that promotes a product or service.

It motivates and conditions the reader to accept his arguments and buy the product he is selling.

It influences the reader in one way or the other to agree or to see the writer’s point of view.

Its objective is to persuade the reader to buy what the letter offers.

It is the most pleasant business letter to write.

It creates a very friendly and personal atmosphere usually achieved by an informal and a conventional style of writing.

It can produce a sale and probably more effectively so than a sale letter.

Its main function is to promote goodwill.

It offers a service or makes known a special event that may benefit the reader.

It is freed from the necessity of persuading the reader to make an immediate purchase and can concentrate on creating goodwill.

Sales Letter

1. Aims at selling some goods / services.

2. Has formal style

3. Generally issued in a series.

4. Has convincing tone and attitude.

5. Motivates the reader to buy.

Aims at creating good relationships.

Has informal style.

Issued for an important circumstance or event.

Has suggestive tone and attitude.

Expresses desire to serve the reader

Sales Promotion Letter

To sell by mail. Many commodities and services are sold by mail. A single letter is

duplicated and sent to several people. Since the sales letter is planned, the assurance of getting the desired response is great.

To pave the way for a salesman’s visit. The sales letter does the task of acquainting a buyer with the

product. When the salesman comes for a visit, he spends less time and effort in explaining the features of the product.

To educate a prospect. A sales letter may educate a prospect regarding the features of the

product. The explanation may acquaint the reader with some terms or uses that are unheard of or slightly known.

To influence the prospects to visit the store. A sales letter that is effective in attracting attention can stimulate a

prospect to visit the store and see the product for himself.

They are less costly.

They are convenient.

They are effective.

They are addressed to a specific audience or target market.

They can be very comprehensive.

They can fully explain things regarding a product.

A – Attracting favorable attention The first paragraph is the attention-getting part of the

body of the letter. To attract favorable attention, the seller writes an introductory paragraph that has no eyesores (grammatical, mechanical and other errors) and that is emphatic, straightforward and accurate.

B – Building interest and desire The second paragraph is the interest-arousing part of

the body of the letter. The seller arouses the buyer’s interest in the product he is selling by enumerating its unique features.

C – Convincing the employer The third paragraph is the convincing part of the body of the

letter. Here, the seller convinces the customer by any of the following means: citing testimonials, enclosing samples, providing facts in the form of tables and graphs, giving premiums and/or discounts and the like.

D – Directing favorable action The fourth paragraph is the action-directing part of the body

of the letter. The seller directs favorable action by asking the customer to visit the store and buy and try the product, by enclosing a self-addressed stamped envelope or order form, by providing an order slip or order stub. A strong imperative, a rhetorical question and an emphatic statement are also ways to direct favorable action.

1. Focus on what your prospect wants, needs, hopes, dreams and desires… or appeal to their motions!

2. Never forget that benefits sell!

3. Always write to someone specific.

4. Get your reader’s attention immediately!

5. You must write to sell!

6. Don’t put them to sleep.

7. Please tell them exactly what you want them to do.

8. Don’t ever try to be cute or clever!

1. Remember that people are mentally lazy.

2. You must lure them into reading with full attention

3. Your first words set the reader’s mental stage.

4. Start with a bang.

5. Warm up in your mind – not on your letterhead.

6. Tell the reader something he wants to know.

7. Use an intriguing question.

8. Make a shocking statement.

9. Start with humor.

10. Write the last paragraph first.

11. Don’t use reference data where not needed.

12. Where it’s needed, blend that data on the sender’s letter into a compelling opening sentence.

13. Where a volume of reference data is needed, remove it from the body of the letter.